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To Love a Ladybug

A dying cockroach in the alleyways of Paris reminisces of the time he fell in love with a ladybug and reflects on what that relationship means to him in his final moments.

  • Mikael Trench
    Director
  • Mikael Trench
    Producer
  • Shaurese Foster
    Art Direction
  • Mariana Calegari
    Musical Score
  • Johnny Ray
    Puppet Fabrication
  • Jenny Boccardi
    Puppet Fabrication
  • Jake Hendrix
    Puppet Fabrication
  • Casandra Brewton-Johnson
    Costume Fabrication
  • Geraldine Brewton
    Costume Fabrication
  • Casandra-Brewton Johnson
    Set Fabrication
  • Jake Hendrix
    Set Fabrication
  • Johnny Ray
    Set Fabrication
  • Amber Ramirez
    Additonal Fabrication
  • Edwin Rivera Blanton
    Additonal Fabrication
  • Jhasmin Gonzalez
    Additonal Fabrication
  • Sydney Bacon
    Additonal Fabrication
  • Mikael Trench
    Animation
  • Johnny Ray
    Animation
  • Amber Ramirez
    Animation
  • Kieran Quinn
    Animation
  • Dino Joo
    Additonal Animation
  • Diana Grant
    Additonal Animation
  • Megan Cockcroft
    Compositing
  • Spencer Vidich
    Compositing
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Romance, Musical, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 12 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 31, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, French
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital DSLR
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Savannah College of Art and Design
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Mikael Trench

Mikael Trench is an Atlanta-based stop motion filmmaker. Since late high school, Mikael has been making a variety of stop motion shorts and projects, many of them influenced by the works of Willis O' Brien, Ray Harryhausen, Nick Park, and Adam Elliott and has been presenting his work in film fests since the age of 16. A lover of visual storytelling, film editing, and film music, Mikael aims to continue making stop motion films that embrace all the humanistic touches that come with the medium.

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Director Statement

To Love a Ladybug has been an enormous learning curve in just about every sense of the word for me. I stepped out of my comfort zone, from telling a story that wasn't linked to sci-fi or horror, to working in a larger team than I am accustomed to, to pushing my craft with digital techniques I had never attempted. On top of this, I was working on this film while working two jobs, running a club, doing other full-time classes and with far fewer resources than those given to other students working on 2D and 3D films, while also completing it during a worldwide pandemic. To say that I was pushed to my limits while making this film would be an understatement, but at the end of the day, we made it and I couldn't be happier with the final project.

To Love a Ladybug represents the actual blood, sweat, and tears of a handful of special individuals who are dedicated to seeing this beautiful art form survive in an age where even the animation landscape on campus is pushing more towards a digital realm. Simply put, there was no other way to tell this story. Bringing bugs to life has been commonplace within stop motion since the birth of the medium from the early works of Ladislas Starevich to the dazzling modern age stop motion films such as “James and the Giant Peach.” I wanted to create a film that embraces and celebrates the texture, tangibility, and intricate human flaws of stop motion and, ultimately, I believe we achieved just that. It is unbelievable to see the work we were able to accomplish within the span of a year. To all who helped shape this film into what it is, I give my deepest and most meaningful thanks and gratitude. To those who have yet to see it, I hope that you can embrace the beating heart that went into every last frame.